Same Face, Different Team

COLUMBIA -- A familiar face returned to Mizzou Arena Tuesday night, but this time he was not wearing royal purple, he was wearing garnet.

Former Kansas State Wildcats and current South Carolina Gamecocks coach Frank Martin entered the court hoping to beat Mizzou for the third straight time. Last season, Martin beat Frank Haith's crew 78-68 snapping a 15-game home win streak and was the only team to beat the Tigers at home.

This time the Tigers came from behind and beat a Gamecocks team that has only one conference victory, "we went through a three or four minute stretch where we had an open look and we missed it. We took a bad shot, turned it over, and that's a jailbreak," Martin said following the 71-65 loss.

Martin recognized the mistakes his team made saying, "this is game five of league play, and it's five games with under two minutes to play that we've got a chance to win the game -- and we're one and four."

Martin left the Wildcats after four consecutive 20-win seasons to takeover the Gamecocks -- a team that went 10-21 last year finishing last in the SEC.

"When I made the decision to leave the Big 12 -- missing the environments that I've been exposed to in the Big 12 was a sad moment for me, because it's just incredible homecourt environments," Martin said.

Mizzou hopes to return the favor and complete a two game sweep of Martin's team this season, when the Tigers travel to South Carolina on February 28.